Friday, September 19, 2008

Promoting normal birth through BaBs

The Goal of BaBs is to be "a Health Promotion charity, which enables pregnant women and new mothers to increase control over, and to improve, their health in pregnancy and birthing, and in the nurture of their babies."

BaBs was born in 2006, after brainstorming meetings I had with two lovely young mothers, Erika and Deb. A quick stick-figure sketch that I did became the 'babs girls' At the time I was an executive member of Maternity Coalition (MC), and BaBs was set up as an organisation under the umbrella of MC, in a similar way to MIPP. Meetings began at Clota Cottage Neighbourhood House in Box Hill. Since then BaBs groups have been set up in other locations in Victoria and Queensland. BaBs is now incorporated, independent of MC, to enable growth.

The mission of BaBs is to "establish local peer support groups for pregnant and parenting women and their families in their own communities. We work to support women to make informed choices, take action about pregnancy, birth and parenting, to feel empowered and confident in their choices to improve their health, parenting, and life skills."

BaBs groups have been successful in obtaining small grants from local councils to buy books and other material, to print brochures, and to help with the costs of room hire. There is no attendance charge for BaBs groups - a donation is welcome, but not required.

BaBs groups depend on the voluntary support of mothers and midwives who work together to plan and facilitate the program in their own local neighbourhood. I am involved in the Box Hill group, which is close to my home.

I would like to encourage all midwives reading this blog to find a way by which you can make a commitment to mothers in your community - not just the mothers who pay you as their midwife, or the mothers at the hospital where you work. A midwife's duty of care includes to 'promote normal birth' [ICM Definition of a midwife]- and it's a bit late to do that when you arrive for a shift and are told to work with the woman in room 3 who has a Synt drip and an epidural.

I would like to enocourage all mothers who read this blog to find a way to meet with other mothers and midwives with the purpose of promoting health in birthing women and their babies. Normal birth includes a whole raft of 'normal' or physiological activities, including normal attachment and breastfeeding. There is no safer or better way to give birth than the way our bodies were designed, and there is no safer or better way to nurture a child than the physiologically normal way.

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villagemidwife

About me

I have been a midwife since 1973, and have practised independently, attending births in homes since 1993.

My four children, born after I qualified as a midwife, taught me that the medical model of care was not suitable for a well woman. The first three, born in a hospital in Lansing, Michigan, taught me that I could push boundaries. The fourth, born at a birth centre in Melbourne Australia, opened up new possibilities, and new philosophies. The babies themselves taught me about birthing and breastfeeding. My first grand-daughter, born into my hands, has brought to my life and loving a wonderful new dimension. The birth of each subsequent grand-child has been a precious time for me.

I learn more from every woman who takes me into her life for the birth of her child. I learn more from each wonderful baby as she or he enters our world.

It is not easy to practise as an independent midwife in Melbourne. Women do not, as a rule, question the care that is available through our health system. Women giving birth are usually submissive to the dominant medical system. Options are not well understood, and not widely available.

Women who choose midwife care are discriminated against financially. Whereas free hospitalisation and subsidised visits to the doctor are available to all, care by a known midwife is usually expensive, except in isolated public hospital programs.

In recent years I have been less able to ignore ageing, and I have realised that I need to write my stories, and share my professional knowledge so that it is not lost when I am no longer able to practise.

Thankyou for visiting my blog. I hope you will find it informative and useful. Please leave a comment or contact me joy@aitex.com.au